KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After pleading guilty to a second-degree murder charge back in June, a New Mexico man was sentenced for the 2023 killing of a woman from Gardner, Kansas.

The Johnson County, Kansas District Attorney says that Franklin Bluelake was sentenced to 620 months or 51 years and 8 months. Bluelake was initially charged with first-degree murder early in 2023, but that charge was amended to second-degree murder the same day Bluelake pleaded guilty in 2025.

Court records show that Rhoda Morgan was found dead inside a hotel in Olathe on January 29, 2023. Morgan's daughter reported that Morgan and Bluelake were in a relationship, and that Bluelake would travel to Olathe to meet. Investigation revealed that Morgan had found out that Bluelake was involved in relationships with other

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